Poker Hand Rankings Calculator
Enter any 5 card poker hand to identify its ranking instantly, and see the full poker hand ranking order from royal flush to high card.
| Result | Value |
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Poker Hand Rankings Reference Table
Poker hand rankings reference every possible 5 card hand category in order from strongest to weakest. The row matching your entered hand is highlighted after you click Identify Hand.
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Flush | 10-J-Q-K-A, same suit |
| 2 | Straight Flush | 5-6-7-8-9, same suit |
| 3 | Four of a Kind | 3-3-3-3-8 |
| 4 | Full House | 8-8-8-5-5 |
| 5 | Flush | 4-6-7-Q-K, same suit |
| 6 | Straight | 2-3-4-5-6, mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a Kind | 7-7-7-5-Q |
| 8 | Two Pair | Q-Q-5-5-4 |
| 9 | One Pair | K-K-9-5-2 |
| 10 | High Card | A-J-8-4-2, mixed suits |
Poker Hand Rankings From Best to Worst
Poker hand rankings from best to worst determine which 5 card hand wins at showdown, with 10 total categories used in standard play. Royal flush sits at the top as the unbeatable hand, while high card sits at the bottom as the weakest category.
Suits are not officially ranked in poker, so a flush made of spades has the exact same value as a flush made of hearts. Some informal home games create house rules to rank suits as tiebreakers, often borrowing the order used in bridge, which lists spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs from highest to lowest.
Royal Flush and Straight Flush
Royal flush and straight flush are the two strongest hands in poker and both require 5 cards of the same suit in sequential order. A royal flush is the specific straight flush running from 10 to ace, while any other 5 card run of one suit is simply called a straight flush.
Four of a Kind and Full House
Four of a kind and full house both rely on multiple matching cards of the same rank. Four of a kind means 4 cards share one rank, such as 6-6-6-6-9, while a full house combines 3 cards of one rank with 2 cards of another rank, such as 3-3-3-K-K.
Flush and Straight
Flush and straight both involve 5 cards that share a pattern but are easier to make than their combined version, the straight flush. A flush is 5 cards of one suit in any order, while a straight is 5 sequential cards of mixed suits, and a flush always beats a straight.
How to Identify Your Poker Hand
How to identify your poker hand starts by checking for matching ranks among your 5 cards, then checking whether all 5 cards share the same suit, and finally checking whether the cards form a sequential run. Working through the categories from strongest to weakest ensures you correctly label hands that could technically fit more than one description.
- Check if all 5 cards are the same suit and in sequence for a royal flush or straight flush
- Check for 4 matching cards for four of a kind
- Check for 3 matching cards plus a separate pair for a full house
- Check for 5 cards of one suit for a flush
- Check for 5 sequential cards for a straight
- Check for 3, 2, or 1 matching pairs for three of a kind, two pair, or one pair
- If none of the above apply, the hand is ranked by its highest card
Tie Breaking Rules
Tie breaking rules apply whenever two players hold hands in the same category, such as both players having two pair. The hand with the higher ranking pair wins first, and if both pairs match exactly, the remaining kicker card decides the winner.
Common Poker Hand Questions
Common poker hand questions usually involve comparing two specific hand types to figure out which one wins. Understanding the fixed order of the 10 categories removes the guesswork, since a hand in a higher category always beats a hand in a lower category no matter what the individual card values are.
- A flush always beats a straight, regardless of the card ranks involved
- A full house always beats a flush, regardless of the card ranks involved
- Four of a kind always beats a full house, regardless of the card ranks involved
- An ace can count as the highest card or as part of the low straight A-2-3-4-5
Frequently Asked Questions
The poker hand rankings from best to worst are royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and high card. Every 5 card poker hand falls into one of these 10 categories.
The highest hand in poker is a royal flush, which is 10, J, Q, K, and A all of the same suit. No other 5 card hand can beat a royal flush.
No, suits are not officially ranked in standard poker, so a flush in spades has the same value as a flush in hearts. Some home games use house rules to rank suits as tiebreakers, often borrowing the bridge order of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.
Yes, a flush beats a straight in standard poker hand rankings. A flush ranks fifth from the top while a straight ranks sixth, so any flush defeats any straight regardless of the card values.
A straight is 5 cards in sequential order with mixed suits, while a straight flush is 5 cards in sequential order that are all the same suit. A straight flush ranks much higher than a plain straight because it combines both a sequence and a matching suit.
A full house is identified by having 3 cards of one rank and 2 cards of another rank in the same 5 card hand, such as 8-8-8-5-5. The three of a kind portion determines the strength of the full house when comparing against another full house.